Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
by Villianous
Summary: After a long period of no contact between Fuuma and Sarutobi, they unexpectedly encounter each other. And their playful reunion much abuses the meeting place. Oneshot KotaroSasuke. Yaoi lemon 0


Yes, I wrote a little something for the Sengoku Basara community. I hope you don't mind that I didn't go for a more canonical pairing like DateSana, ChikaNari, or Ieyasu x Mitsunari (I'm not going to even _try _to portmanteau those two together). There's too many other less-common pairings that I find myself drawn to - that is, compelled to write to fulfill my own version of TVtropes' Rule 35 (and 35) of the Internet. Kyaa, don't flame me~~ *ducks*

Just to let you know: I'm tossing the idea of suffixes on the end of people's names (-san, -dono, -sama, etc.) out the window for this story. That's more than I want to worry about right now, and my apologies to those (like me) who prefer that their fanfiction have as much Japanese in it as possible. This is just a short and sweet little oneshot that I wrote over break.

~Hope you like it~

**Warnings: Lemony yaoi goodness, fluff, OOC, and possible logic errors. I edited this a little hurriedly, so I hope it turned out alright... The flow still seems jerky to me, but then I'm a perfectionist (or should I say masochist lol) ^^"**

**Disclaimer: BASARA is CAPCOM's; I'm just playing with the characters~~**

* * *

Sasuke jumped from branch to branch in the forest, senses straining for any trace of Fuuma Kotaro. Not, however, because he wanted to fight him, or even because he wanted to know more about the living legend. No, it was because this was the first he'd heard of his friend in quite a while, and he didn't intend to let him slip away again without so much as a wave goodbye.

"Kotaro~" Sasuke called. "Where are you?" If his friend didn't want to see him, he had very little chance of finding him, Sasuke knew. But he still had to try, no matter how fruitless a quest it might turn out be.

"I just want to talk," He called again. Then he caught sight of the mercenary through a gap in the trees. He perched on a branch, waiting for Sasuke to catch up.

"Nice to see you again, Kotaro!" Sasuke greeted his friend, smiling. Kotaro inclined his own head, then dropped down to the forest floor, Sasuke landing lightly beside him.

"Have you been well?" The mercenary nodded, smiling faintly, and gestured at Sasuke.

"Oh, I've been fine. Just more of the usual; taking care of Danna and doing odd jobs for Taishou." Sasuke grinned. A soft grassy spot caught his eye and he sat down with a relieved sigh.

"Come and sit." Sasuke patted the spot beside him invitingly. After a moment, Kotaro joined him. Sasuke stretched out on the grass, folding his hands behind his head.

"So you were with the Hojo? I'm sorry our Taishou had to destroy the castle." Kotaro waved his hand, indicating that Sasuke shouldn't worry about it. It was just the way of things in this chaotic time.

"Well, I'm worried about you, that's all." The brunette looked away, seeming irritated. Just as Kotaro wondered whether he should apologise, Sasuke turned back, holding a stick out to him. Kotaro just looked at it in puzzlement.

"Use this; you can write your words on the ground so I can read them." Kotaro accepted the stick gratefully and found a suitable patch of dirt to write in.

_'Thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be fine.' _He wrote.

"Where are you gonna go, though?"

_'East.' _Kotaro wrote. He'd been planning on going East for awhile, but since he'd already had employment, he hadn't given much thought as to _where _in the East.

"Anywhere in particular?" Kotaro's hand stilled at the question. Though it was only common sense that Sasuke would ask that, he wasn't sure how to answer.

_'_..._'_

"That's what I thought. Come on, Kotaro, don't disappear on me again!" Sasuke chided his friend playfully.

_'No, that's not it. I've had an offer...' _He trailed off, wondering if he should really tell his friend about it. They _had _just met again after a long time, and it would just worry Sasuke.

"From who?" Sasuke inquired. Kotaro decided that he might as well tell him; otherwise the brunette would likely pester him about it. Indirectly, of course, but there was no real point in keeping it from him, either.

_'A Matsunaga Hisahide.'_

"Matsunaga? The Villain of the Warring States?!" Sasuke asked, surprised. Kotaro nodded in confirmation.

"What could he be planning, hiring you to work for him?" Sasuke was quiet, absorbed in his thoughts. Kotaro could practically see the gears in his friend's mind turning.

_'He offers a lot of money...'_

"Gold is gold, but good masters are hard to find."

_'True, but his offer is the best I've received in a while.'_

"Just be careful, alright?" Concerned, Sasuke met Kotaro's eyes, placing his hand on the mercenary's shoulder. Kotaro ducked his head, putting his hand over Sasuke's reassuringly. He liked the fact that Sasuke was worried about him, but they were ninjas. Danger was an integral part of the job, if not the entire thing.

Sasuke gave his shoulder a companionable squeeze, and was surprised when Kotaro's face tightened in pain. Just for a second, but it didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, are you injured?" Sasuke's brow furrowed in concern, and he cast a critical eye over his friend's body, looking for injuries. Kotaro shook his head negatively, though he knew that he had little chance of diverting his friend once he'd detected the possibility that Kotaro could be injured.

Sasuke reached out and touched the mercenary's face with his long fingers, gently tracing a faint bruise. Kotaro stiffened at the contact, then made himself relax. Sasuke just meant to help him; he didn't know (or was ignoring the fact) that Kotaro didn't like people too close to him, let alone touching him. His friend could be pushy when he decided that his help was needed, and he was in no mood to contest the matter.

"Ah, Taishou did this, didn't he? At least he didn't hit you with his axe; that'd definitely leave a mark." Sasuke said without thinking, then grimaced as he remembered what happened to the castle. The cracks left from Takeda Shingen's attack had rendered the structure liable to collapse at any time, and he'd had his hands full combing through it for those unlucky enough to still be inside before it fell.

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me." Kotaro shook his head in dismissal. The Hojo had simply been another employer, though he was grateful to Hojo Ujimasa for giving him enough time to get word to his clan members within the formerly-standing castle and village once it became clear that Takeda meant to engage them. Thanks to that, his clan and many of the villagers managed to evacuate with minimal fuss and injury.

"Here," Sasuke pulled out a cloth and soaked it in water. "Hold this to your face. It'll keep the swelling down." Kotaro accepted the cloth with a nod of thanks.

"Kotaro, are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else?" Sasuke pursed his lips, studying his friend.

_'Just some cuts and bruises.'_

"I'm sure your back must ache, being slammed into the castle like that." Then Sasuke smiled, his jade eyes sparkling mischievously. Kotaro knew that look in his friend's eyes; he'd thought up some way to _help_. That usually meant that something was going to happen that someone was not going to be terribly pleased about. And in all probability, he was the target of Sasuke's.. help.

"Flip over and I'll give you a massage." The brunette said. Which wasn't a bad suggestion, but he really didn't like people touching him, no matter who they were.

_'No, thank you, I'm fine,'_ was what Kotaro started to write, but Sasuke was already pushing and pulling at him, maneuvering him into position. If the mercenary wanted to stop him, he'd have to either restrain him, or flee. But all Sasuke wanted to do was help him; he wouldn't be able to stand the brunette's sad expression if he rejected him. Kotaro reluctantly lay down on his stomach, pillowing his head on his arms.

Sasuke gently rubbed his friend's tense shoulders, moving down his back. Kotaro tried not to stiffen too much as Sasuke's able hands massaged his bruises.

"See, I knew that you were hurt somewhere! One doesn't get slammed into stone and walk away unscathed, after all." Sasuke hummed to himself, pleased that he could do something for his friend.

As Sasuke worked on him, Kotaro gradually relaxed. Being around Sasuke made him feel comfortable, accepted in a way he wasn't anywhere else. As a mercenary, he was always looked down upon. Which was why he avoided other people as much as possible. He was used to doing so, but it was nice not to have to worry about it for a while.

"Hey, Kotaro?" Sasuke said as he worked. The mercenary cocked his head slightly to show he was listening.

"Maybe you could come work for Sanada. He's a good master, and I could use someone to help with missions..." The brunette trailed off invitingly. It _was _a tempting idea.. He wouldn't have to move his clan very far, and he wouldn't need to set up another information network; he could continue using what he had. Besides, from such close proximity, he could work on deepening the relationship between them. They would work together, relax together, perhaps even bathe and sleep together...

His thoughts spiraled into the gutter. It was hard to think about other things when Sasuke's hands were _all over him_. Yes, it was just a massage, but tell _that _to the part of him that'd been crushing on the cute, energetic brunette for as long as he can remember.

".. Well, keep it in mind, okay?" The mercenary nodded. That he would, even if it was only in his dreams. Then he realized that he had a certain _problem_. He shifted and tried to ignore the ache in his lower half, hoping it'd go away.

Unfortunately, Sasuke noticed his discomfort, asking: "Is something wrong?"

Kotaro froze. He couldn't let Sasuke find out; he could just picture the brunette's face when he realized. His expression would freeze on his face, then he'd laugh weakly and scratch at his cheek. And then he'd leave, and in all probability avoid him from then on. He didn't want that. He didn't want to lose the only real friend he had!

"Kotaro?" Sasuke was trying get a look at his face, worried at his friend's sudden unresponsiveness. Kotaro barely heard him, mind racing. He had to do something quickly, before Sasuke found out. Kotaro glanced at the brunette. He had such a (cute) worried look on his face, lips slightly parted. Oh, that was a mistake. He buried his face in his arm hurriedly, blushing. His problem wasn't going away (quite the opposite, actually), and at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Sasuke figured it out.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke leant farther over the mercenary, lightly resting a hand on his back for balance.

Kotaro probably couldn't outdistance his friend very easily; Sasuke would most likely just chase after him again. Besides, he didn't really want to leave.

The only other thing he could think of was to.. put his moves on the brunette. Knowing Sasuke, he would either let himself be carried away or else he'd immediately reject him. All Kotaro needed to do was press his case _just _enough that Sasuke would hesitate over whether to reject him. And that was when Kotaro would convince him completely.

Certainly, this plan sounded much better than the first, if just as flawed. He was undeniably attracted to the slender, easygoing brunette. In fact, he had extensive plans to deepen their relationship; it was just that they were all more long-term. He really wanted not to scare his soon-to-be boyfriend away, and hestitated over what course of action to take.

He snuck another glance at Sasuke. The brunette was leaning quite far over him, reaching for his shoulder. And Kotaro gave up. He'd been quiet for too long already; he he'd just do something and hope for the best.

He pushed himself up on one arm and pulled Sasuke the short distance into a kiss. He felt the brunette stiffen dangerously; the tension promised either sudden flight, or a sudden and violent fight. Kotaro tried hard not to respond in kind. He hoped to seduce Sasuke, not fight him!

But just when Kotaro thought for sure that the brunette was going to throw a strike and run, Sasuke relaxed against him. Nor did he resist when Kotaro sat all the way up and pulled Sasuke into his lap to deepen the kiss.

'Why did you kiss me?' Sasuke couldn't ask. He wanted the answer to that and a dozen _other _questions, but that would require that they not be kissing. And - that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Kotaro was just as good a kisser as he'd hoped.

And personally, he had issues with the idea that when his friend and longtime crush was really actually kissing him, he should push him away just to ask a question. Actually _kissing _him! It was like a dream come true!

Sasuke had always been attracted to the redhead, but he'd never allowed his attraction to move any further than that, because he wanted to stay near his friend. He didn't know what he'd do, if Kotaro hated him. If his wanting the redhead made him hate him. And when they'd been separated...

He'd suddenly been confronted with the thought that Kotaro might not turn up again. He didn't think he could stand it if he never heard from his friend again. If he simply disappeared into the violent chaos that was the current state of the country.

When he'd seen him again, it was like a fish returning to water. He'd been so happy; he wanted to do something for Kotaro, _anything _if it meant they could be together a moment longer. Even if the redhead was just doing this to blow off some steam. If it meant that they could be together, Sasuke would do it.

"Kotaro - " Sasuke gasped, cut off by another, hungrier kiss. Kotaro rubbed and prodded at his tongue, encouraging him to play. With a small moan, the brunette threw himself into their small battle as if his life depended on it. And though his life may not have depended upon how well he kissed, it may as well have, since his feelings for Kotaro certainly did. Sasuke slid his arms around the mercenary's broad, muscular shoulders, pulling them impossibly closer together.

The brunette blushed a brighter shade of red, feeling _everything _of Kotaro's press against him. The redhead was aroused. He didn't know how to feel about that, everything considered. It felt like he was taking advantage of his friend, by letting him kiss him simply because he was aroused when they happened to be together.

Among ninja, it was common practice to help each other out when possible, since today's enemy might be tomorrow's friend, or vice versa. It even extended, though rarely, to sexual favors, since such a practice was known to reduce anxiety and promote goodwill.

But Kotaro was still his friend, and he didn't want to wreck that by doing this with him. Even if the redhead was fine with it, he knew that they'd still end up caught in a awkward limbo where they were neither friends nor lovers, unable to move in either direction. They would gradually drift apart, both seeing it happen yet helpless to stop it.

But although he knew that he should stop, he still couldn't bring himself to push his friend away. He was caught, held prisoner to the feelings that he'd thought he'd locked away, to be strung along for as long as Kotaro wanted him. It would almost be easier if the redhead pushed him away and laughed at him for taking a joke seriously. Something like that, Sasuke thought he could handle. He was used to submerging his emotions.

Kotaro groaned, grinding their hips together, and Sasuke moaned into the redhead's mouth. This was what he'd always wanted, but if it happened that they couldn't be together because they'd done this... He didn't think that he'd be able to handle it.

Kotaro became aware of wetness on his face and salt in his mouth. Surprised, he opened his eyes, then pulled back in shock. Tears were dripping down Sasuke's face. He felt his heart tug painfully at his chest. He'd made the brunette cry - he'd never wanted, never meant to do that! He didn't know what to do. His baser impulses suggested kissing him again, but he couldn't do that since that might be what had made Sasuke cry in the first place. He stayed as he was, unable to pull the brunette closer, yet unable to let him go.

Sasuke rubbed at the frozen redhead's arm to get his attention, as much as he could without breaking the grip Kotaro had on his shoulders, anyway.

"Kotaro..." He said softly, the sound breaking into the redhead's thoughts. Kotaro suddenly released him, and Sasuke felt his heart begin to break at the apparent rejection. He wiped his face hurriedly and moved to flee. But he was stopped by Kotaro's hand on his. His hand was turned palm up and the mercenary began to trace something on his hand.

What was.. oh, he was tracing characters... Sasuke watched closely, curious despite himself.

_'Why are you crying?'_ Was the question that emerged. Sasuke felt so relieved, he almost laughed. The redhead had simply released him in order to communicate his confusion - which was his fault completely since Kotaro was only worried about why he was crying. Which brought up a question of his own:

".. Do you like me?" He asked against his better judgment, both dreading and eagerly anticipating the answer.

_'Of course I do! Sasuke - '_ Kotaro immediately answered, anxious to cheer Sasuke up.

"And that's why you kissed me..?"

_'Yes. I'm sorry if you didn't like it. I won't do it again - '_ He traced sadly.

"No no, it's just the opposite Kotaro!" Sasuke hugged the redhead, giddy with relief. "I really like you too! You can kiss me more if you want." Hearing these words, Kotaro felt as though he might fly! He'd only ever entertained the idea in his dreams, that Sasuke would _want _him to kiss him, and touch him, and... He almost couldn't believe it. But he could feel the brunette's warm body against his, and his rapidly beating heart only confirmed what he'd said. The only question remaining was...

_'But then why were you crying?' _Kotaro pulled back enough to trace the characters, though a (rather large) part of him vehemently protested the loss of contact, wanting nothing more than to hold the brunette close and never let him go.

"Because I thought that you didn't like me and were just making fun of me." The lie rolled easily off Sasuke's tongue. He didn't know how he would begin to explain the actual reason, and it wouldn't hurt their relationship any to keep it to himself. And in any case, it was a comparatively insignificant detail.

_'How could I not like you..? I love you.' _Kotaro blushed brightly. It was just as embarrassing tracing the characters as it would be saying them.

"Me too..." Sasuke blushed, shyly ducking his head. "I.. I love you too." It felt so strange, and at the same time so _right_, to be finally speaking about his feelings instead of pushing them away. To allow them to show instead of shoving them down. And to the person that he'd resigned himself to never tell him about... He felt as though he could die happy, now.

Kotaro gently lifted his face up to his with a finger under his chin. Sasuke blushed even an brighter red. He idly wondered if his face was close to the shade of red that his new boyfriend's hair was, but the thought flew out of his head as Kotarou leant close. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, but neither was patient enough to stand the teasing brush for long. The brunette slipped Kotaro's visor up, impatiently pulling off the helmet. Not that it made much difference; the mercenary's hair still covered half his face.

But once the annoying, kiss-obstructing piece of armor was out of the way, their kiss was quickly deepened. Sasuke licked at the mercenary's parted lips, and Kotaro met him, slipping his own tongue into Sasuke's sweet, hot mouth.

"Hahh, Ko.. taro..." The slim brunette moaned, slipping his hands into Kotaro's silky hair. As their tongues moved together, the redhead slipped his hands under Sasuke's top, unfastening his armor and working his shirt off. Getting the hint, Sasuke started working on Kotaro's clothes as well. They both wanted to be naked quickly.

They broke the kiss to slip off their tops, but when Sasuke started pulling his gloves off, Kotaro stopped him. He took his hand and lifted it to his mouth, gently nipping at the fingers of the glove. He moved slowly up his arm until he reached the edge of the material, then pulled it off with his teeth. A blush darkened the brunette's face, and he covered half his face with his free hand. And Kotaro thought that he just looked so cute~ He wanted to see _more_, of his new boyfriend's expressions, of his reactions, everything. Tossing the glove aside, he pulled Sasuke's other arm away from his face and gave it the same treatment.

Sasuke dazedly watched Kotaro work, running his delicate pink tongue over soft, parted lips. Kotaro leant up and kissed him thoroughly, unwilling to let that seductive tongue get away with teasing him.

Tossing the glove aside, Kotaro sat up and laid Sasuke down beside him on the soft grass, the brunette pulling him down on top of him. The mercenary nipped along Sasuke's jawline to his neck, the brunette moaning when he found a tender spot. He worked his way down to Sasuke's toned chest, nipping and sucking. He paused when he got to the waistband of Sasuke's pants, letting his breath on the brunette's heated skin tease them both.

"K-Kotaro," Sasuke leant up, feverishly pulling the redhead into a kiss with one hand while he undid Kotaro's pants with the other. The mercenary smiled against his mouth, getting the hint. He quickly rid them both of the annoying cloth. He put his fingers to the brunette's mouth. Sasuke looked at him hotly for a moment, then reached back in the direction his clothes had gone, bringing out a flask of somewhat viscous liquid. He handed it to Kotaro, saying:

"Use this, I still need to get back to Kai." The redhead blushed and nodded. He pushed one of Sasuke's legs up and pressed it to his chest, then dribbled the liquid onto the smaller male. Sasuke jolted as the cool liquid hit his heated flesh, panting lustily. Kotaro drug his fingers through the liquid, making sure to thouroughly coat them. He rimmed the brunette's small hole, relishing the gasp it brought, then slipped a finger in.

Sasuke squirmed slightly at the intrusion, but stopped when Kotaro pushed his leg back against his chest. The sensation was uncomfortable, though it was nothing like some of the wounds he'd recieved in the past. He panted at the burning feeling as the muscles were stretched and loosened by Kotaro's fingers. He concentrated on keeping himself relaxed, knowing it'd hurt less.

The brunette involuntarily tightened around him every time Kotaro thrusted his fingers deeper, and the redhead practically drooled imagining how it'd feel when he was buried within. He impatiently scissored his fingers, thrusting them deeper every so often, searching for Sasuke's good spot. He knew that it was somewhere around here...

"Hyaa~" The brunette let out a startled moan, arching his back sharply. Found it. Kotaro smirked victoriously and ground his fingers into Sasuke, causing the brunette to writhe ever so deliciously under him. He added a third finger when he thought the brunette was ready, internally wincing at the pained noise Sasuke let out. He hated bringing the brunette pain, but at the same time, he knew that it would be hard on both of them to stop now. Unless Sasuke really didn't like it, there was nothing to do but continue.

Sasuke relaxed enough for Kotaro to move, and he thrusted his fingers.

"Ah!" Sasuke gasped. The pain and pleasure were mingling together until his body couldn't tell them apart. His senses were on overdrive, but all they brought him consisted of heat and inescapable _sensation_. And Kotaro. His vision was starting to go white and he knew that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Kotaro..." Sasuke clutched shakily at his arm, giving him a pleading, lustful look. Kotaro swallowed hard. Sasuke was too cute for his own good, let alone anyone else's. The mercenary shook his head, offering a kiss instead. He was still too tight. Sasuke ground his hips back against Kotaro's hand impatiently, bracing himself on his elbows.

"Come on..." Sasuke panted needily. And Kotaro was finding it increasingly difficult to hold back as the brunette clenched around his fingers, pleasured moans slipping from his soft, kiss-swollen lips. Feeling his self-control slipping, he started to pump Sasuke with his free hand, scissoring his fingers inside of him at the same time. He wanted to be inside of the brunette, he wanted to mark him, and make him _his_. He knew that he couldn't stop Sasuke from having other partners - in fact he knew that he wouldn't; he wasn't the jealous, vengeful type - but he would try his best to make sure that the brunette wouldn't want to. Wouldn't _need _to.

Finally, Kotaro judged Sasuke to be ready. He removed his fingers and Sasuke sighed breathily, as if he was holding back a moan. He tried to catch his breath while Kotaro slicked himself, knowing what'd come next.

"Ah.. aah, AAAH!" Sasuke shuddered, body instinctively curling, as Kotaro slowly slid deep within him, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. It hurt; it was a burning pain shooting up his spine, but at the same time it felt so good to have Kotaro inside of him. It was a strange feeling, to finally get what he wanted. Like he had been stretched out until now, and had only just snapped back into shape.

The brunette's legs trembled around Kotaro's waist, and he gently nipped at them while he waited for Sasuke to adjust. It was killing him to stay still, but he didn't want to hurt his new lover. He could have control; he could give Sasuke as much time as he needed. The brunette clung to him, eyes screwed shut and breathing harsh as his body tried to adjust.

Kotaro leant down to kiss him, trying to ease his plight and inviting him to play. Welcoming the distraction from the pain, Sasuke returned the kiss passionately. It became messy as they tried and failed to breathe entirely through their noses, but neither cared. It was only another part of this, of their long-awaited union, and it only made it that much more perfect.

After a minute, the brunette experimentally rocked back on Kotaro, which the redhead took as his cue to begin. He slowly thrusted into Sasuke's tight heat, looking for his sweet spot. He knew that it hurt the brunette, but the sooner he found Sasuke's spot again, the sooner they could fully enjoy this together. The brunette moaned in pained pleasure, clawing at Kotaro's back. He felt like he was losing his mind in the heat and smooth slide of their bodies and the joy he felt at finally being with the redhead. And he found that he didn't mind. He was finally complete; he could take on anything and everything with Kotaro at his side.

"Hnnh, Ko, taro..." Sasuke moaned, body jerking, as the redhead brushed against his prostate. Kotaro moved a little faster, aiming just for that spot. Sasuke was moving his hips back against the redhead's, moaning loudly as his spot was struck.

"Ah, aah, aaauh~~" The brunette had his head thrown back, moans spilling from his open mouth. And for the second time, he felt his climax begin to overtake him.

Feeling his own end approaching, Kotaro began to pump the brunette in time with his thrusts, causing Sasuke to nearly scream from the stimulation, clawing at the grass.

"KOTARO~~!" He threw his head back, clenching deliciously around the redhead as he climaxed. Kotaro managed a few more thrusts before he came, Sasuke's shuddering body milking him dry. The brunette moaned as he felt Kotaro's hot cum splash against his insides.

Spent, the two ninja collapsed in a tangle of limbs. Sasuke leant in for a kiss, though it was cut short because of their mutual need for air. Kotaro slipped out of Sasuke, the brunette giving a soft moan and snuggling closer.

Kotaro stroked Sasuke's toned side and back, feeling the smooth scars and tender skin under his hand. The brunette hummed and leant into the touch, reminding Kotaro of a cat. He felt sad that his Sasuke had gotten hurt so much over the years, but the brunette wasn't the type to let others protect him. In any case, he had no room to talk, as he'd been away from Sasuke for several years already. He just hoped that they would be able to survive, somehow, until the country settled down and they could finally just be together.

Sasuke happily snuggled into the brunette's warm, broad chest. Now that they'd joined bodies, he finally felt like he understood Kotaro completely. And he knew that they'd eventually have to part, but for now, he was happy to just be with his new boyfriend like this.

After a time, they separated, their respective responsibilities weighing heavily on their minds. They sorted their clothes together, trading clothing and kisses until both were fully dressed. Reluctant to part, the two ninja shared a long look.

"See you.. Kotaro." Sasuke said, a sad smile on his face. Acting on impulse, Kotaro grabbed the brunette's hand and traced characters.

_'Don't die.' _

Sasuke stared at him for a long moment before he ducked his head in a nod. "Yeah. You too." The redhead's sharp eyes didn't miss the sudden moisture in his friend's eyes.

Sasuke leapt onto a branch. He glanced back one last time at the redhead's solitary figure, one hand raised in farewell. He hoped that they would be able to meet again.

Even though the next time they met, they would be enemies.

* * *

Isn't it convenient that they were both crushing on each other? Minimal plot XD

Viscous liquid... Isn't it more interesting when you don't know exactly what it is..?

The unconciously sexy Sasuke-dono is the best~ I almost pity Kotaro-dono, being right in the line of fire for the Sanada ninja's seduction techniques. Sasuke-dono is a little dense as well, but then that's merely standard feature for the hero(ine) of any story lol

This particular plot bunny was influenced rather strongly by the KotaroSasuke in the doujinshi Basara no Kaoihon on , as well as Galactix Knight's SasuKotaro. Yes, I designated a different seme, but I'm a SasUKE fujoushi ^0^

I wanted to write a little ninja-on-ninja action, but somehow it turned out overly sweet and sappy? Well, the other option (actually the original idea) was to have a little ninja rape in the forest, but that seemed unnecessarily cruel, besides just plain _difficult, _working with a silent antagonist. There's no _banter _in that case, whether unfriendly or not. And I _like _charas to talk. Though I tend to suck at it..?

In any case, this story should be only one of many SenBasa fics, if the plot bunnies can be coaxed to sit still long enough. Get back here, you damn elusive figments of imagination! ^^

As always, reviews help! Even if it's a quick thumbs-up, but if you could maybe pinpoint one thing that you liked or that needs work... 3

_**~Thanks for Reading~**_


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